Tube drawing apparatus



J. A. STAPLES ET AL TUBE DRAWING APPARATUS l lNveNToRs JOHN A.STAP|- Es AT To RN.

BRAM J. I EwlN TANNIE LEwIN W. GLDENBERG Patented Jan. 12,. 1943 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE TUBE DRAWING APPARATUS John A. Staples, University City, and Bram J.

Lewin and Tannie Lewin, Clayt on, Mo., and

Joseph W. 4Goldenberg, East St. Louis, Ill., assignors to Lewin-Mathes Company, East St. Louis, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application June 9, .1941', Serial No. 397,220

13 claims.

This invention relates generally to the production of seamless tubing, and, more particularly, to a certain new and useful improvement in apparatus for the cold drawing production of tubing.

Present methods of lubricating tubing for drawing, so far as we are aware, are either, briey stated, (l) to dip th tubes, singly or collectively in loads, in a vat or tank of oil or lubricating compound and then successively string the lubricated tubes onvthe plug-rod, or (2) te suppLv the lubricant to the inside of the tube by a hollow plug-rod through which the lubricant is pumped and to the outside of the tube by a nozzle or pipe outlet locatedrat or adjacent the die.

The rst method is cumbersome and impractical when the tubes being drawn are over thirty feet long. The second method has the'objections that the lubricant does not get up into the point satisfactorily,.the amount of lubrication is limited by the hole or outlet in the rod, and the plug-rods have a tendency to plug up in use,.

tion with present drawing benches or other cold drawing equipment, which economically involves relatively lowv operating and maintenance costs, and which eEects a material improvement in the drawn tubing, as well as substantially prolonging the useful life of the drawing dies and' plugs. K

And with the above and other objects in view, our invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination oi parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawingc Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drawingbench equipped with die and plug lubricating apparatus constructed in accordance with and embodying our present invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmental longitudinal sectional view of the lubricating apparatus; and

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the lubricating apparatus taken approximately along the line 3-v-3, Figure 2.

Referring now in more detailv and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustratesa preferred embodiment of the present invention, A'

designates a conventional drawing bench, sultably located upon whichfis a `rigid mounting I for a removable for `renewable drawing-die 2.

Mounted for travel on bench A, is radraw-car- Y riage 3 provided -with suitable'rjaws 4 for grip,I

ping the tube T or other work and having means for engagement withan endless traveling drawchain 5 for pulling movement of the carriage 3 and gripped tube T along the bench A and away from die 2 during drawing operations.

Forming substantiallyV a part of the bench A and suitably spaced from, and registering with, the die-mounting I, is a frame A', and supported upon and extending between themounting I and frame A', is a pair of horizontal' tie-rods 6.

Frame A' is provided on its upper face with a v pair of spaced parallel slide-ways 1 for a shiftable block 8, which is, in turn, provided in its rear face with a rearwardly extending plunger 8 operatively working in a hydraulic cylinder I0 for reciprocating the block 8 toward and from the die-mounting I, for purposes presently,A appear- Fixed in, and extending forwardly from, the mounting-block 8, is a pair of spaced parallel horizontally disposed stub-shafts IVI, each rigidly provided with a diametrally enlarged preferably concentric tubular cap I2, as bestseen in .Fig-

I ure 2.

Threaded into the freev end of, `orv otherwise fixed to, each stub II, is a mandrel or plug-bar I3 of a length to extend horizontally forwardly to adjacent the die 2, and threaded or otherwise suitably xed on the forward Yend of the bar VI3 for drawing co-operation with the die 2, is a conventional drawing plug I 4. j

Welded or otherwise suitably securedl at an end in, ahd extending forwardly from, the respective caps I2 in encircling relation to the plugbars I3, are lubricant tubes or shells I5, I5', each suitably elongated to extend forwardly to terminate approximately ten or twelve inches from the rearwardly presented face of the die-mounting I, each shell I5, I5', being preferably of aring or bell-shape contour at its free end or mouth, as

at I6.

- Suitably mounted upon the die-mounting I and sized to extend rearwardly under the mouths i6 of the tubes I5, I5', is a catch-basin or socalled sump-box Il, and connected on its intake i side by means of a suitable pipe-section I8 to the bottom of the sump-box I1, is a pump I9, which is, in turn, connected on its discharge side by suitable pipe-sections 2|, 22, respectively, to the caps I2 and to a nozzle 20, the latter being so shaped and positioned on the die-mounting I relatively tothe die 2, it may here be stated, to discharge a substantial flow of lubricant on to the exterior surface or outer periphery of the particular tube T being drawn Just as the tube T enters the die 2, all as best seen in Figures 1 and 2.

Accordingly, in use and practice, the tubes to be drawn or reduced are telescopically fed by means of rolls 23 from the bench-racks or f brackets 24 alternately into the shells Il, I5', and about the respective plug-bars ormandrels I3 housed therein, a tube T' being fed into and housed within one of the shells, as, for instance, shell I', while another tube T is being drawn or pulled by means of the carriage 3 from the other shell, or, in such instance, shell I5, and reducingly between the co-operable die 2 and plug I4.

It will be understood, of course, that, when a tube T has been telescopically housed within a shell, the assembly, including the block 8, is forwardly shifted to locate the plugv I4 properly within, and for tube-reducing co-operation with, the die 2`, the assembly being reciprocated for similarly effecting successive tube reductions.

It will also be appreciated that the relatively extreme length of the respective shells Ill, t5. readily presents freedom of movement thereof at their free ends, as indicated in Figure 2, for facilitating tube feeding and drawing.

For and during such tube-drawing operations, the sump-box I1 is lled to a suitable level with the lubricating fluid, and the pump I8 caused to operate to drive the lubricating iluid both into the lubricating tubes or shells I5, I5', and into the nozzle 20.

The pumped lubricant thus fills, or substantially fllls, the shell I5', and as the tube T' is fed into the lubricant-filled shell I5' and strung over the plug rod I3, and the raised end of shell I5' lowered to horizontal position, the lubricant will ow both into and about the strung tube T', some of the displaced lubricant escaping through the tube-mouth I6 into the sump I1 for recirculation. Substantially, it might thus be said, the tube T' is thereby immersed in a lubri cant bath and so thoroughly lubricated both upon its inner and outer periphery that, when subsequently the tube is worked, as, for instance, when the tube, now designated T, isi pulled bythe carriage from the particular shell, the drawing oi' the tube both through the die 2 and over the plug I4 is exceedingly facilitated and smoothed.

If desired, additional lubricant may be discharged from the nozzle 20 upon the outer periphery of the tube adjace'nt the die 2, excess lubricant from nozzle 20 likewise ilowing into the sump-box I1 for recirculation.

Thus our apparatus retains all of the advantages, and eliminates all of the disadvantages, of present methods and means oi tubing lubrication.

The apparatus is simple in` structure, readily installed, economical in lubricant-supply, and exceedingly eiilcient in the performance of its intended functions, and it should be understood that changes and modincations in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the apparatus may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. Tube-drawing apparatus including, in com; bination, a die-mounting, an elongated tubular shell for temporarily housing the tube to be drawn, means for supplying lubricant to the shell for ilow into and about the housed tube, the shell having aniopen end in spaced relation to said mounting for discharge during a drawin g operation of contained lubricant, and means for drawing said tube from the shell through the open end thereof and between the co-operable die and plug.

2. Tube-drawing apparatus including, in combination, an elongated tubular shell open at an end, a mandrel partially disposed within the shell, a reducing plug supported by the mandrel, means for feeding an open-end tube into the shell through its said end and about the mandrel and plug, means for supplying lubricant to the shell for flow into and about the fed tube, and meansl for reversely drawing the tube from the shell through its said open end and between said plug and a co-operable die.

3. Tube-drawing apparatus including, in combination, a die-mounting and a die supported thereby, a frame spaced from and registering wit-h said mounting, an elongated tubular shell upon the frame, the shell having a mouth disposed in spaced relation to the die-mounting, a mandrel partially disposedwithin the shell, a reducing plug supported by the mandrel, means for feeding an open-end tube into the shell through its said mouth and about the mandrel and plug, means for supplying lubricant to the shell and` about and within the fed tube, and means for reversely drawing the tube from the shell through its said mouth and between the plug and die.

4.Tubedrawing apparatus including.' in combination, a die-mounting and a die supported thereby, a frame spaced from and registering with said mounting. an elongated tubular shell upon the frame, the shell having a mouth disposed in spaced relation to the die-mounting, a mandrel partially disposed within the shell, a reducing plug supported by the mandrel, means for feeding an open-end tube into the shell through its said mouth and about the mandrel and plug, pump means for supplying lubricating fluid under pressure to the shell for now into and about the fed tube, and means for reversely drawing the tube from the shell through its said mouth and between the plug and die.

5. Tube-drawing apparatus including, in combination, a die-mountin`g and a die supported thereby, a frame spaced from and registering with said mounting, an elongated tubular shell disposed upon the frame, the shell having s. mouth disposed in spaced relation to the diemounting, a mandrel partially disposed within the shell, a reducing plug supported by the mandrei, means for feeding an open-end tube into the shell through its said mouth and about the mandrel and plug, pump means for supplying lubricating fluid under pressure to the shell for iiow into and about the fed tube, means for shifting the plug into reducing relation with said die, and means for reversely drawing the tube from the shell through its said mouth and between the die and plug.

6. Apparatus for cold-drawing seamless tubing including, in combination with a stationary die,

a tubular shell of larger diametral sise than the tubing for telescopically receiving the tubing, means for maintaining a quantity o! lubricating fluid within the shell and tubing. the shell having an open end in spaced relation to the die tor the escape of excess lubricating uid. a sumpbox disposed beneath said end oi the shell for receiving excess lubricating uid owing from the shell. and means for recirculating the lubricating uid fromthe sump-box tothe shell.

'1. Apparatus for cold-drawing seamless tubing including, in combination with a die, a tubular shell having an open mouth spaced rearwardly of the die for receiving the tubing, means for maintaining a quantity of lubricating'uid within the shell and in and about the tubing. a nozzle, -posltioned above the entrant endy of the die for ilowing lubricant uid over the ,-outer periphery of the tubing as the tubing passes through the die, a sump-box disposed beneath the `open end oi the shell and the nozzle for receiving excess lubricating fluid owing from the shell-mouth and the nozzle, and means for recirculating the lubricating fluid from the sump-box to the shell and nozzle formaintaining a continuous flow of lubricating fluid during a drawing operation.

8. Apparatus for cold-drawing tubing includwith said mounting, an elongated tubular shell disposed upon the frame, the shell having a ducing relation to the die, and means for reing a die and a co-operable plug, an open end tubular shell for telescopically housing tubing to be drawn, the shell being elongated for exible disposition outoi alignment with the die for receiving the tubing to be drawn, means for main-- taining a quantity of lubricating fluid within the shell and in and about the housed tubing. and means for reversely drawing the tubing from the shell over the plug and through the die. v

9. Apparatus for cold-drawing.tubing including a die and a co-operable plug, an open end tubular shell for telescopically h'ouslng tubing to be dra the shell being elongated for exible disposition out of alignment with the die for receiving the tubing to be drawn.` means for main-'- taining a quantity o! lubricatingiluid within the shell and in and about the housed tubing for vlubricating the tubing for movement overk the plug, means for reversely drawing'the tubingl from the shell over the plug and through the die, and means for lubricating the tubing for movement through the die.

10. Tube-'drawing apparatus including.

bination, a die-mounting and a die supported versely drawing the tube trom the shell through the mouth thereof and between the die and plug.

l1. Apparatus for cold-drawing tubing including a die and a tubular shell for temporarily housing tubing to be drawn, the shell being of larger diametrical size than1 and having an opening for teiescopically receiving, the tubing to be drawn, said shell being elongated for alternate ilexlble disposition into 'and out ofdrawing alignment with the die.

12. Apparatus iorcold-drawing tubing including a die, a tubular shell tor temporarily-housing tubing to be drawn, the shell being of larger diametrical size than. and having -an opening for telescopically receiving, the tubing to be drawn. said shell being elongated for alternate exible disposition into and out of drawing align-l l ment with the die,` and means for maintaining a quantity ot lubricating iiuid within the shell for flow into and about the housed tubing.

13. Apparatus for cold-drawing tubing includinga die and a co-operable plug. an open end v tubular shell for telescopically housing tubing to be drawn, means for maintaining a quantity of lubricating iluid within the shell and in and about the housed tubing i'or lubricating the tubing for movement over the plug, means ior reversely drawing the tubing from the shell over the plug and through' the die, and means for lubricating the tubing for movement through the 45 die, the shell at its open end permitting discharge incomw of contained lubricant during a drawingcperation.

TANNm Lawm.' JOSEPH w. command.

thereby, a frame spaced from and registering- 

